Reviews

The Woman in Apartment 49 by Ross Armstrong

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usbsticky's review against another edition

1.0

I really disliked the way this was written. The writing was very awkward to read, I had to struggle to read it. It's in some kind of perky first person narrative which really rubbed me the wrong way and very reader unfriendly. A book is supposed to tell a story but this doesn't. You know when you read, you read out loud in your own mind, this one pinged annoyingly in my mind. A well deserved 1 star. To the author: please don't do this again.

I got this as a free review copy, an uncorrected proof.

booklvrkat's review against another edition

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3.0

*audio

This story was just "meh" for me. It seems to be in the same category as all the "new" stalkerish stories that seem to be flooding the audiobook world. It's hard to find one that really has a plot I can't figure out.

tabithha's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

dad_bro_39's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

thebooktrail88's review against another edition

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3.0

I don't really know how to review this book. It's a little strange - yup definately strange and it was difficult to get into. Lily Gullick lives life through her binoculars and her world is out world as she narrates the novel in first person. I can't say I felt comfortable inside her head but I suppose that was the point.

She starts to obsess over the life of those in the flats opposite - people watching in the extreme - but before long she starts to see things she doesn't want to. And this is where it starts to get creepy.

Lily is a very unique character - she’s been working on a book on Alfred Hitchcock and this book does take on the shape of a Hitchcock like world. Lily also plays with your mind - she sees a murder take place and then becomes the detective. She’s not the only person to have gone missing in the area you see.

This all seeing woman seems to know more than she lets on. She’s a strange one and there’s no mistake.

What I did like about the novel was the sense of limited space, of being watched without realising it, of the birdwatcher becoming an all seeing eye of the city below and around her. This is London where people, like birds, like in concrete high rise cages, where tall towers overlook smaller and posher apartments. Where space and money equals status. And where you never really know who is watching you....

ingera's review against another edition

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2.0

Didn’t care for the jerky writing, but managed to keep up reading to the end so I guess that’s something. Also not a fan of really unreliable narrators, and I saw some of the revelations early on.